Our partners

Building key relationships

Much of our technical research and expertise in national defence and security relies on working with academic partners, government and industry. This helps with knowledge sharing, promoting best practice and building future relationships at AWE.

Our partnerships with external organisations contribute to our programmes, through delivering better value and greater efficiencies, ensuring long-term sustainability of the work we do to deliver our mission.

Working with leading academics

The formation and development of effective collaborations with our academic partners improves our ability to acquire, absorb and sustain knowledge, enabling access to specialised resources and facilities that add value to our role in the nation’s defence.

AWE has a rich history of working with universities, through access to world-leading research and renowned academics. Whilst we work with many institutions, a small number of our partnerships are identified as being Strategic Alliances, recognising the breadth and depth of mutually beneficial collaboration, research and innovation.

William Penney Fellowships

We sponsor several key academics who provide a valuable resource in support of our strategic aims, either through their leadership of centres of technical excellence or in other roles. Our William Penney Fellows act as ambassadors for AWE in the scientific and technical communities in which they operate – at the top of their respective fields. They also provide horizon scanning and peer review activities that are essential in benchmarking our capabilities.

Centres of technical excellence

We fund centres of technical excellence at universities that support AWE’s programmes. These centres provide opportunities for research through a composite of academic, postdoctoral and postgraduate level activity – in physics, nuclear threat reduction and materials science.

Engaging with UK Research Councils

Through our engagement with the UK’s Research Councils, we provide funding for Centres of Doctoral Training (CDTs) with direct relevance to our future capability.  AWE benefits from part-funded postgraduate studentships, and in addition, provides memberships of advisory boards and seminars.

Our relationships with the Research Councils are mutually beneficial, as their plans recognise the need for greater engagement with business and industry.

Our experts have contributed to reviews and strategic plans associated with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Our scientists also represent AWE on advisory boards and peer review colleges for these Research Councils.

 Supporting government and industry

Our strategic activities with nuclear focussed groups that include industrial and government representatives, in addition to academics, gives us the opportunity to influence UK policy on nuclear issues of significant importance – in the interests of STEM and our future talent pipeline.

Technologies for Licence

Our agreement with Defence Intellectual Property Right (DIPR) and Ploughshare Innovations Ltd makes selected AWE generated technologies including patents, software, and know-how, available to be acquired by industry through Ploughshare Innovations Ltd.

Latest Innovations for Licence

This agreement ensures our technology is put to good use in the public domain, maximises our taxpayer-funded research, and helps deliver financial returns to enable future UK government investment in technology.